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Ohio’s Religious 
Organizations and 
the War 


BY 

MARTHA L. EDWARDS 

Lake Erie College 


Reprinted from Ohio Archaeological and 
Historical Quarterly 
Volume XXVIII , April , /<?/<? 






















Ohio’s Religious Organizations 
and the War 


BY 

MARTHA L. EDWARDS 

LAKE ERIE COLLEGB 


Reprinted from Ohio Archaeological and Historical 
Quarterly , Volume XXVIII ", April , IQIQ 


Columbus, Ohio: 

Thk F. J. Heer Printing Ca 

1919 




OHIO'S RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE WAR.* 


MARTHA L. EDWARDS, LAKE ERIE COLLEGE 

What have the churches of Ohio had to do with the war? 
The answer to this question must of necessity await investiga- 
tion since the source material upon which final judgments are 
to be based cannot now be assembled. There is, however, evi- 
dence already at hand in the collections of the Historical Com- 
mission of Ohio which permits a tentative sketch of what the 
churches of the state have accomplished during the first year of 
the war, and it is from this incomplete record that the present 
study has been drawn. The sources which have proved most 
useful are the official reports, bulletins, pamphlets, and peri- 
odicals published by the various religious organizations. Infor- 
mation has also been gleaned from sermons and addresses, 
printed announcements, and programs of church services, while 
at certain doubtful points This information has been corrobor- 
ated by verbal or written assurances from representative spokes- 
men of the several faiths. 

As a preliminary step it may be well to determine at the 
outset what is meant by “the churches,” and how many of these 
churches there are in Ohio. The term “church organization” 
as used by the Census Bureau of the United States applies to 
“any organization for religious worship which has a separate 
membership, whether called a church proper, congregation, meet- 
ing, society,” or by any other designation. According to the 
preliminary census report for 1916, there were in that year over 
200,000 such organizations in the United States with a total 
membership of more than 42,000,000, approximately two-fifths 
of the entire population of the United States. These numerous 
church organizations were grouped in 201 religious denomina- 
tions varying in size from a single congregation to a church 
whose membership amounted to more than 15,000,000. About 
thirty-seven per cent of the total church membership in the 


* This article was read before the Ohio Teachers’ Association, 
November 15, 1918. 


(208) 


ky Transfer 

JAN 14 1920 


209 


Ohio’s Religious Organizations and the War. 

United States was reported by the Catholic church, about one- 
half of one per cent by Eastern Orthodox churches, less than 
one per cent by Jewish congregations, and the remaining sixty- 
one per cent by Protestant and other churches. The census 
statement, however, calls attention to the fact that these per- 
centages overstate the relative strength of Roman Catholic and 
Eastern Orthodox churches which count baptized children as 
members and underestimate that of the Jews who in orthodox 
congregations count only male incorporators and heads of fam- 
ilies who have contributed financially to their support. 

The numerical strength of religious denominations in the 
state of Ohio at the present time can not be accurately stated 
until the tabulation of the religious census of 1916 shall have 
been completed. The most recent statistics now available for 
individual states, therefore, are those of the religious census of 
1906. In that year there were in Ohio nearly 10,000 church 
organizations whose combined membership included about two- 
fifths of the population of the state. The membership of the 
Catholic Church amounted to thirteen per cent of the total popu- 
lation, that of all Protestant churches was twenty-six per cent, 
while the membership of other denominations embraced about 
one per cent. The remaining sixty-one per cent of the popu- 
lation was not reported by any religious denomination. In 
actual numbers the largest membership was in the Catholic 
Church. The largest number of church organizations was re- 
ported by Methodist sects of which no less than eight were 
represented within the state. Next in regard to number of 
congregations came the United Brethren, Presbyterians, Baptists, 
Lutherans, Disciples, and Catholics. Each of the Protestant 
denominations above-mentioned included several distinct re- 
ligious groups. There were, for example, seven different kinds 
of Presbyterians, as many varieties of Baptists, twelve sects of 
Lutherans and nine branches of the Mennonite faith. In all, 
there were nearly one hundred religious denominations actively 
organized within the state. 

The great diversity of religious elements in this country 
has been due in part to differences of creed and discipline, in 
part to racial grouping within the sect, the latter distinction 

Vol. XXVIII— 14. 


210 Ohio Arch, and Hist. Society Publications. 

being indicated by the languages in which church services are 
conducted. In this respect the churches of Ohio are typical of 
the nation for in 1906 there were twenty-four different languages 
thus in use. Among the vernacular languages used in congrega- 
tions and parochial schools in this state German was far in the 
lead. Accurate statistics for Ohio are not at present accessible 
but in the United States as a whole the religious census for 
1906 reports seventy-seven denominations using the German 
language in congregations aggregating more than three and a 
half million members. While it is not likely that there had 
been any noticeable decline in the numbers of German congrega- 
tions during the intervening decade, the census report of 1916 
will undoubtedly record a considerable increase in the number 
employing one or another of the Slavic languages which may 
in some degree have acted as a counterpoise to the weight of 
German influence in religious organizations. 

For a century and more it has been obvious that minute 
differentiation of creed or of race was a hindrance to the 
efficiency of religious activities in the United States. From time 
to time therefore, attempts have been made to consolidate sects 
which were not fundamentally antagonistic in creed. This 
process, however, has not yet been completed by any Protestant 
denomination. Presbyterian assemblies are still endeavoring to 
harmonize minor differences among ten Presbyterian organiza- 
tions ; Baptist sects are still distinct ; nor can Methodist churches 
all agree. The most recent effort of Lutheran churches in 
this direction was brought to public attention through the 
presentation of an application to Congress by a Senator from 
Ohio for a charter of incorporation intended to amalgamate 
three of the twenty-one Lutheran sects in the United States. 
More significant than these sectarian movements was the or- 
ganization of the Federal Council of Churches in 1908 by repre- 
sentative leaders of thirty Protestant denominations. This 
Federal Council differs from earlier experiments in church union 
in more than one respect. The most striking feature of the plan 
is its distinctively federal character. Abandoning at the outset 
the futile attempt to harmonize conflicting creeds, the Federal 
Council limited its province to the recommendation of a course 


Ohio's Religious Organizations and the War. 211 

of action. It has no authority to enforce decisions, and the 
autonomy of its constituent bodies in regard to creed, form of 
worship, or of church government is expressly guaranteed, the 
aim and purpose of the organization as stated in its constitu- 
tion being “to promote a spirit of fellowship, service, and co- 
operation” among denominations which still remain distinct. 
Similar to the Federal Council in purpose and in plan are the 
local church federations of which there are at present seven in 
Ohio. In the course of time no doubt this number will be 
increased and local federations will be brought into closer co- 
operation through a State Federation of Churches upon the 
model of that already effected in the neighboring state of 
Indiana. 

Such, in brief, was the religious situation in Ohio at the 
outbreak of the war : ten thousand separate congregations of one 
hundred or more religious faiths, differing in race, in language, 
in discipline, and in creed; some persistently clinging to the 
ideals of an earlier age and striving to perpetuate in the 
twentieth century the isolation which had once been needful 
for the preservation of their faith, while others had been uni- 
fied through ecclesiastical organizations which greatly enhanced 
their corporate strength. Viewing the situation from the one 
aspect it would seem rash to infer the existence of a common 
religious spirit among such heterogeneous elements. Penetrating 
vision, however, reveals the fact that out of the mutual conflict 
of diverse creeds in the United States there has gradually 
emerged a common religious ideal which all denominations have 
tended to approximate, which has made co-operation possible 
and has given a distinctive character to the work of American 
churches during the war. 

Religious emotion, already deeply stirred by the solemn 
appeal of the President’s message, responded at once to the 
declaration of war. On the following Easter Sunday the flag 
took its place beside the cross in some of the most conservative 
churches of Ohio, there to remain until Easter peace should 
again prevail, and on Wednesday evening of Easter week at an 
hour set apart by the Governor of the State, congregations as- 
sembled for special services of prayer and supplication. Mean- 


212 Ohio Arch, and Hist. Society Publications. 

while expressions of loyal support were being conveyed to the 
President by ministers, bishops and rabbis from every section 
of the country on behalf of the religious organizations which 
they represented and in the course of time these assurances were 
duly confirmed by official utterances and by constructive plans 
for supporting the government during the continuance of war. 

One form of war service which might naturally be expected 
of voluntary organizations in the United States the churches 
were peculiarly well fitted to perform. Religious thought in 
this country having ever been deeply impregnated with moral 
ideas, the moral issues involved in the European conflict had 
furnished a leading theme for sermons, addresses and religious 
discussions since 1914 and after the nation was irrevocably com- 
mitted to the cause of civilization and humanity by the declar- 
ation of war, the churches became fully conscious of their high 
obligation. Religion and patriotism were still recognized as 
quite distinct, yet owing to the nature of the struggle, it was 
inevitable that they should be allied in a common cause. From 
the first moment, therefore, the churches directed their efforts 
to enlisting public opinion in whole-hearted support of the 
moral issues involved in the war. Within the churches the 
appeal to patriotism was made through prayers and sermons, 
through hymns and music, through insistent demands for per- 
sonal service of every kind. Enthusiasm for the cause to which 
the flag within the church had been dedicated stimulated thus by 
religious devotion was raised to a higher pitch. Here and there 
it is true these innovations were viewed with deep misgiving as 
indicating too close an alliance between church and state. 
Others there were who openly protested that flags and patriotic 
addresses were manifestly out of place in the buildings set 
apart for religious worship. In many instances it is evident that 
these objections were thoroughly sincere, being in fact survivals 
of a point of view commonly held by churches in the United 
States and still adhered to by certain denominations. In other 
instances on the contrary, there seems little room to doubt that 
protest against the introduction of patriotic features into church 
services was used as camouflage to screen pro-German senti- 
ments within the congregation. 


Ohio’s Religious Organizations and the War. 213 

As the war went on protests of this kind were less fre- 
quently urged and even in congregations where enthusiasm for 
the cause of the allies remained luke warm it was usually deemed 
expedient to adopt the customs of neighboring churches in 
order that the imputation of being un-American might thereby 
be avoided. In addition to the changes in church services, 
various other methods of stimulating war enthusiasm have been 
effectively used by the churches. Resolutions of congregations, 
associations, synods, and assemblies, pastoral letters read in the 
churches, and authoritative utterances in the religious periodical 
press have exerted an incalculable influence in turning the bal- 
ance of wavering opinion. 

A far more difficult aspect of this same task called forth 
equally prompt and persistent effort on the part of the churches. 
At the outbreak of the war all voluntary organizations were 
confronted with the problem of maintaining loyalty within 
their own ranks, and churches as well as clubs and associations 
were frequently in danger of being misrepresented by individual 
expressions which in no wise reflected corporate opinion. In 
many Protestant churches both liberal and evangelical the 
pacifist idea long persisted and if too greatly stressed after this 
country entered the war might easily assume a negative aspect 
of disloyalty. Ministers who adhered to pacifist theories and 
who cherished the hope of peaceful settlement after the declar- 
ation of war were apt therefore to give an impression which a 
majority of the congregation might actively resent. An incident 
which occurred in Cincinnati may serve as an illustration of the 
tendency for pacifist preaching to disappear whenever the in- 
compatibility between pacifism and patriotism became sufficiently 
clear. Becoming impatient with the pacifist sermons of their 
pastor the congregation of the Unitarian church in that city 
formally demanded his resignation. In order to establish be- 
yond all question the patriotic attitude of the congregation, the 
resolutions adopted at the congregational meeting were given the 
fullest publicity and the participation of its members in war 
activities was urgently recommended. In congregations where 
sentiment had not been unequivocally defined and especially in 
German churches, the removal of pastors was sometimes 


214 Ohio Arch, and Hist. Society Publications. 

hastened by the action of the community. Summary procedure 
was the usual resort. In Coshocton, in Henry County, and in 
other parts of the state, German pastors who had been tarred 
and feathered by their neighbors were afterwards formally 
dismissed by the vote of the congregations. Not infrequently, 
however, these mob attacks were misdirected. In Huron, Ohio, 
for example, the resignation offered by the pastor was not ac- 
cepted, because after full investigation the congregation became 
convinced that the charges made against him could not be sus- 
tained. 

Similar complications arose in educational institutions under 
sectarian control. Perhaps the most conspicuous incident of 
the kind occurring in Ohio, certainly the one which was 
given the widest publicity, was the removal of the president of 
Baldwin-Wallace College after a thorough investigation con- 
ducted by a special committee of Methodist bishops. The de- 
cisive action of this committee was intended to serve a two-fold 
purpose ; on the one hand, it was a warning to those in charge 
of similar institutions, while on the other, it might be construed 
as a guarantee of patriotism on the part of the Methodist 
Church. In general, religious organizations have been held re- 
sponsible by public opinion for the suppression of enemy propa- 
ganda in educational institutions under their control and only in 
cases where ecclesiastical authorities have been slow to act has 
it been imperative for the federal government to intervene. As 
might naturally be expected evidences of disaffection were most 
frequently found in parochial schools giving instruction in the 
German language. Teachers in some of these institutions there- 
fore have remained under the close surveillance of the fede-ral 
authorities throughout the war while others have been forced to 
relinquish their positions when investigation by the Department 
of Justice disclosed their attitude and intent. From the data at 
hand at the present moment it is difficult to estimate the measure ' 
of success attained by the various denominations in eliminating 
enemy propaganda from parochial schools. Owing to the 
diversity of racial elements in the Catholic churches in Ohio the 
task has borne heavily upon administrative officials of that de- 
nomination. Complete success, therefore, should not be expected 


Ohio’s Religious Organizations and the War. 215 

until the comprehensive plans for the Americanization of 
parochial schools now being formulated shall have been put into 
effect. 

Religious organizations were likewise expected to prevent 
the spread of enemy propaganda through the medium of the 
religious periodical press. Here again the Methodist church took 
prompt and decisive action. The editor of the most influential 
German Methodist publication in Ohio was warned at the out- 
set that articles showing a tendency to favor the German cause 
must cease to appear. After the outbreak at Baldwin- Wallace 
college had revealed the extent of propagandist effort in German 
Methodist churches, the situation was again reviewed and it was 
then decided that the two German Methodist publications author- 
ized by the Book Committee should be consolidated under the 
charge of an editor whose patriotism could not be questioned and 
that henceforth no other periodicals should be published in the 
German language. In the interest of Americanization, the com- 
plete elimination of German language publications was to be 
postponed until after the war. Lutheran, Evangelical, and 
Catholic periodicals whether published in German or merely 
expressing the views of German churches were also called to the 
bar of public opinion. The procedure was the same as in the 
case of teachers or preachers; whenever ecclesiastical authorities 
were slow to act the federal government took the situation in 
hand. A well known instance of federal action was the with- 
drawal of cheap mailing privileges from the Catholic paper, the 
Josephinum Weekly, published in Columbus, in April, 1918. 

The gradual elimination of the German language in church 
services is another evidence that the churches of Ohio are pledg- 
ing allegiance to the cause of the United States. While at times 
this action has been brought about by the coercion of public 
opinion the formal resolutions adopted by some of these German 
congregations prove beyond doubt that the desire to emphasize 
Americanism above all else was the dominant motive in these 
particular instances. The religious sect which has been most 
persistent in its opposition to federal and state authorities in 
Ohio is the Mennonite church. Since the Mennonite doctrines 
do not admit the existence of any lawful connection between 


216 Ohio Arch, and Hist. Society Publications. 

the government and those who hold the Mennonite faith, mem- 
bers of the stricter sects have steadfastly refused to serve under 
the military arm either combatant or non-combatant and it was 
not until the late summer of 1918 that the Governor of Ohio 
was able to announce that no more conscientious objectors Were 
to be found in the state. Thereafter the federal agents who had 
brought about a change of view among the Mennonite farmers 
in Holmes county were free to turn their attention to the activi- 
ties of the Mennonites in Indiana where deacons, ministers, and 
bishops of the church were cited to appear. In other churches, 
doubt and disloyalty have tended to disappear as the issues of 
the war have been made plain. That so radical a change of 
view could have been brought about in conservative German 
congregations with comparatively little disturbance is due in no 
slight degree to the vigilance of national and local religious or- 
ganizations. Through unremitting efforts to purge their own 
ranks of enemy propaganda, the churches of Ohio have rendered 
invaluable assistance to local defense leagues and have thus 
materially lightened the labors of the federal department of 
justice. 

The influence of the churches upon public opinion during 
the first year of the war moreover, has extended far beyond 
the limits of their own congregations. In accordance with 
the custom which has always prevailed in the United States, 
ministers, rabbis, bishops, and priests have taken a leading part 
in public meetings, in patriotic demonstrations, and in the activi- 
ties of local and national committees. Through government 
bulletins prepared especially for the churches and through confi- 
dential communications transmitted through executives of their 
own organizations they have been kept in touch with the govern- 
ment program. They have proved effective Four-Minute speak- 
ers at public gatherings and in some places have delivered four- 
minute addresses to their own congregations. In anticipation 
of the depressing effect which might be produced by heavy 
casualty lists, two especial tasks were assigned to the churches in 
the late summer of 1918. On the one hand they were asked 
to assist in creating a public sentiment toward cripples in order 
that government plans for re-education might receive hearty 


Ohio's Religions Organizations and the War. 217 

support, and more especially were they expected to afford both 
spiritual and material comfort to soldiers’ families in distress. 
Both of these functions, it is true, would properly belong to the 
churches in any case yet they acquired a deeper significance from 
the fact that the churches were consciously serving the nation to 
further a cause which had blended patriotism, humanitarianism 
and religion into one impelling emotion. 

In general war activities, the churches have also borne their 
part. Among those who were called to Washington at the 
request of the Food Administrator during the summer of 1917 
when plans were first under discussion was a group of ministers 
from all sections of the United States and representing many 
shades of religious opinion. To them an appeal was made by 
the Food Administrator in person and to them the aim of the 
food campaign was clearly defined. In the spring of 1918 when 
the needs of the allies had become more imperative a circular 
letter from the Food Administrator was addressed to the min- 
isters and churches in the United States, and at the same time 
local food administrators were advised to get into immediate 
touch with all churches in their respective districts. In pur- 
suance of this suggestion, a mailing list of several thousand 
ministers was placed on file in the central office of the Food 
Administration in Ohio and through the bulletins regularly sent 
to these ministers the churches have been called upon to sustain 
the food administration throughout the state. Religious organ- 
izations have also had a share both directly and indirectly in 
Liberty Loan campaigns, in Red Cross drives, and in raising 
funds for the numerous social agencies engaged in war relief. 
Various methods have been employed. Subscription lists have 
been circulated, collections have been solicited, and at times a 
double purpose has been served by investing funds donated to 
religious organizations in Liberty Loans or War Savings Stamps. 
The practical work of women’s religious organizations and that 
of the children has reached amazing proportions. In helping 
to carry through these various campaigns and in rendering 
material aid to war relief agencies, the work of the churches has 
not been unlike that of clubs, lodges, or other voluntary associ- 
ations. There can be: no doubt however that at times religious 


218 Ohio Arch. and. Hist. Society Publications. 

zeal has given an added stimulus and that by so much the total 
of these contributions has been thereby increased. How far 
the several religious denominations in the state of Ohio have 
been successful in rallying the rank and file of their member- 
ship in support of the government is a question which can not 
be determined until further sources of information become avail- 
able, and even then the historian may experience some difficulty 
in evaluating the religious factor. The attitude of their spokes- 
men, however, has been unmistakable and in view of the facts 
the historian of today must frankly acknowledge that religion 
has been among the forces which have added power to the will 
of the Nation during the first year of the war. In rural com- 
munities especially the influence of the churches has made itself 
felt. 

The phase of religious work which has made the strongest 
popular appeal is that of organizations having a social as well as 
a religious character. Contrary to the oft repeated assertion that 
the churches have been negligent of their social functions, there 
is abundant evidence to prove that religious organizations in the 
United States still retain their traditional leadership in move- 
ments for moral and social betterment. The activities of the 
Y. M. C. A., the Y. W. C. A., the Knights of Columbus, the 
Jewish Welfare Board, and the Salvation Army have demon- 
strated beyond question their ability to deal with problems which 
can not be successfully met by purely social agencies. While 
these organizations derive their impulse from religious sources, 
they have not aspired to supplant the regularly ordained ministry 
of their respective churches. Their work is to be regarded rather 
as the concrete expression of a modern religious ideal which can 
not be made effective without the ministry and which without 
the Christian ministry would never have been evolved. The 
churches, therefore, while heartily supporting these organi- 
zations, have also endeavored in various ways to supplement 
their work. 

The first care of the churches throughout the war has been 
to provide for the moral welfare of the men in service. Natur- 
ally the points of most imminent danger were the large com- 
munities in the neighborhood of camps and cantonments. The 


Ohio's Religious Organizations and the War. 219 

work of the churches in these communities falls under three 
separate heads : first, the removal of temptation by the sup- 
pression of vice and the liquor traffic ; second, providing enter- 
tainment and relaxation for soldiers on leave; and last, though 
by no means least, the purely religious service which is their 
essential function. In all three of these directions the churches 
of Ohio have been continuously active since the beginning of 
the war. To mention one conspicuous instance, the local Feder- 
ation of Churches in Cincinnati not only took the initiative but 
has remained throughout the guiding power. Thus when it be- 
came evident that vice conditions in Cincinnati threatened to 
undermine both the health and the morale of soldiers stationed 
at Fort Thomas, a local committee including ministers and social 
workers undertook a thorough survey of vice conditions. The 
result of their investigation was promptly submitted to the War 
Department while at the same time the city authorities were 
advised to remedy the existing situation. As the restricted area 
in Cincinnati was being evacuated by the police, the Federation 
of Churches established relief stations in the neighborhood to 
provide temporary assistance for women who otherwise might 
become a greater menace to the soldiers upon the public streets. 
Entertainment for soldiers on leave has been furnished by church 
clubs, by social centers, and in the private homes of church 
members, while for those detained in camp special provision has 
been made by groups of volunteer entertainers. The re- 
ligious aspect of the work done for the men in the service has 
intentionally been kept in the background by many of the 
churches out of respect for sectarian prejudices which might 
otherwise be offended, but as occasion offered the men have 
been welcomed in the churches, and the clergy have made great 
exertions to supply the religious needs of the camps until regular 
chaplains could be appointed. The hearty co-operation of the 
churches in every form of War Camp Community service has 
thus contributed in a considerable degree to the success of these 
endeavors. 

Religious work at Camp Sherman was begun under the 
auspices of the Episcopal churches in Ohio. When the first 
five per cent quota of the draft reached the camp, the men were 


220 Ohio Arch, and Hist. Society Publications. 

greeted by a volunteer chaplain appointed by the Bishop in whose 
diocese Chillicothe is located, and for several weeks thereafter 
the only place religious service could be held was the little 
portable church which he had erected with the aid and consent 
of the construction department upon private property near the 
camp. When plans for a community center were developed 
and the need for a more commodious building became apparent, 
the sum of $20,000 was promptly raised by individual members 
of Episcopal churches in the state. Being the only building near 
the camp exclusively devoted to religious purposes, the church 
has been freely offered to camp pastors and chaplains, and for 
a time regular weekly services were conducted at different hours 
by Episcopalians, Lutherans and Jews. The subsequent develop- 
ment of religious work at Camp Sherman has followed the plans 
outlined by the War Department in consultation with representa- 
tives of the various religious organizations. A special member 
of the Commission on Training Camp Activities has kept a 
general oversight of all religious activities, the actual work 
being done by camp pastors appointed and maintained by their 
own denominations. In order to avoid the overcrowding and 
duplication which threatened to result if each denomination 
were permitted to carry on its independent work in every 
camp, the War Department issued an order in July, 1918, 
requiring camp pastors to leave the direction of religious 
work in the hands of regularly appointed army chap- 
lains whenever a sufficient number of the latter could be pro- 
vided. In order to supply this need, an act of Congress had 
increased the number of chaplains, and a training camp had 
already been established to give them physical and military 
preparation for their work. In September 1918, no less than 
eighteen different denominations were represented in the group 
of chaplains then in camp. A full discussion of the plan for 
organizing a Chaplains’ Corps which has been worked out 
through the the co-operation of the War Department with re- 
ligious organizations is beyond the scope of a paper dealing with 
churches of Ohio. Suffice it to note that appointments are made 
by the War Department upon recommendation from religious 
bodies in exact proportion to their membership as reported in 


Ohio's Religious Organizations and the War. 221 

the religious census for 1916. Upon this basis the Catholic 
church nominates more than one-third of the chaplains in the 
army and navy, eight Protestant churches appoint two-fifths, 
while a little more than one fifth of the corps belong to other 
religious bodies. 

The war work of the churches in Ohio can not be properly 
estimated apart from that of national organizations in which 
they are included. Some of these organizations in fact antedate 
the adoption of the constitution and their development through- 
out has been along national lines, for notwithstanding its diverse 
elements, religion in the United States must always be counted 
among the forces that have tended to break down barriers of 
state and section. At the outbreak of the war, therefore, the 
churches made haste to readjust their administrative machinery, 
with the expectation of rendering some form of service to the 
nation. The action of the Presbyterian church affords a typical 
illustration of the normal procedure. At the annual meeting of 
the General Assembly in May, 1917, a National Service Com- 
mission was appointed with full authority to place the resources 
of the Presbyterian church, at the command of the Government 
of the United States. I11 accordance with their instructions the 
members of this commission sought an interview with the Presi- 
dent in the course of which he frankly stated the conditions 
the government must necessarily impose upon religious agencies 
engaging in war work. The offers made by other denominations 
were accepted by the President upon exactly similar terms and 
during the course of the year each has concentrated its forces 
by appointing a commission to supervise its war work. Co- 
operation among the numerous sectarian organizations has been 
made effective through the General War-time Commission ap- 
pointed by the Federal Council of Churches and intended to 
serve as a clearing house for the war time commissions of all 
denominations. This commission has so far been successful in 
minimizing the friction which might have resulted from lack of 
co-ordination. It has even succeeded in cooperating effectively 
with organizations which it does not represent such as, for 
example, the National Catholic War Council and the Jewish 
Welfare Board. It has taken the initiative in forming joint- 


222 Ohio Arch, and Hist. Society Publications. 

committees which have provided regular channels of communi- 
cation between the government and local churches in the re- 
motest sections of the United States. 

The resources for carrying on religious work in connection 
with the war have been contributed through voluntary effort, the 
amounts varying in proportion to the numbers and wealth of the 
several denominations. The Catholic War Fund in the United 
States has reached the impressive sum of fifteen millions while a 
goodly number of smaller denominations have succeeded in pass- 
ing the million mark. Each of these funds is administered by a 
special committee appointed by the Wartime Commission of the 
denomination and as a rule the ablest men in the churches have 
been asked to assume this task. It is a matter of interest to 
citizens of Ohio therefore that the Episcopal fund has been put 
in charge of a bishop from this state. The aggregate sum of 
religious contributions from Ohio will probably never be com- 
puted. Accurate accounts have not always been kept and there 
has been some overlapping and duplication. Contributions for 
religious work have been made at times by individuals who were 
not directly connected with any religious organization; dona- 
tions from Jews and Protestants have gone to swell the Catholic 
fund; and Catholics have aided in the campaigns of other de- 
nominations. Yet the actual figures after all are of less import 
to the historian than the co-operative spirit which has pre- 
vailed, and of this religious records and periodicals afford 
abounding proof. 

Co-operation then has been the keynote in the war work of 
American religious organizations. Yet though it has been ac- 
centuated by war conditions, this form of co-operation is by no 
means a creation of today. On the contrary, churches of various 
creeds were already working effectively with each other and 
with civic and social agencies in their respective communities 
before the war began, while churches adhering to the same faith 
and order had long since perfected their local, state, and national 
associations. Through pastoral or fraternal letters, through re- 
ports, pamphlets, and religious periodicals, the plans prepared 
by representatives of each denomination could be brought to 
the immediate attention of the remotest congregation. More- 


Ohio’s Religious Organizations and the War. 223 

over, the efficiency of religious agencies had been enhanced by 
the formation of interdenominational societies for cooperative 
effort in missionary enterprises and in the direction of social 
reform. Some of these religious organizations in fact had 
acquired an international importance through the establishment 
of foreign missions or as in the case of the Catholic church 
through their connection with a world-wide ecclesiastical system. 
The international significance of American Jewry had been in- 
tensified as American Jews assumed the leadership in promoting 
the interests of their co-religionists in other lands. Thus the 
machinery was already in existence for carrying on religious and 
social work upon a national or even upon an international scale. 
Not only was this true before the beginning of the war, but 
moreover, cooperation with the government in humanitarian 
and social endeavors had long been recognized as one of the 
essential functions of religious bodies in the United States. 

In the larger program of war work which has been carried 
on by religious organizations in the United States the churches 
of Ohio have had an important part. The Protestant churches 
of the state have worked hand in hand with the federal govern- 
ment through denominational war commissions, through the 
Federal Council of Churches, through the Y. M. C. A. and the 
Y. W. C. A. In like manner Catholic churches in the four 
dioceses of Ohio have participated through the National Catholic 
War Council and the Knights of Columbus. The activities of 
Jewish congregations in this state are especially significant, be- 
cause for the moment a Jewish synagogue in Cincinnati is the 
most active center of non-Zionist Judaism in the United States. 
Christian Scientists and the Salvation Army have likewise kept 
in touch with the government through organizations of national 
scope. The Friends in Ohio have aided the civilian population 
of France by furnishing workers and funds for the Friends 
Committee for Civilian Relief. Viewed in this larger perspec- 
tive, therefore, the war work of religious organizations in Ohio 
is of national and even of international importance. 

The rapid extension of the spheres of contact between 
religious organizations on the one hand and the federal govern- 
ment on the other resulting from this activity has already 


224 Ohio Arch, and Hist. Society Publications. 

aroused some apprehension in the minds of those who have 
observed it. Two danger points have been detected. The first 
is suggested by the warning conveyed to the Federal Council of 
Churches by one of its constituent bodies, that the Council 
should proceed with extreme caution in matters touching upon 
the relations between church and state. Attention was called to 
a more imminent danger by the Committee of Public Informa- 
tion when it became apparent that the churches of the United 
States were exposed to a most insidious form of enemy propa- 
ganda by the circulation of reports creating the impression that 
certain religious organizations were accorded preferential treat- 
ment by the government and that this was done for the express 
purpose of arousing sectarian strife in the United States. Thus 
far, however, the ogre of sectarian jealousy has not showed its 
head although there are some indications to be found in the 
religious press that profiteering in the form of religious pros- 
elytism has been found in the ranks of some few denominations. 
Certain it is that boastful statements concerning the work of a 
particular religious sect or equally boastful comment upon the 
number of converts brought into the fold while armies are in 
the field are not conducive to the obliteration of sectarian preju- 
dices and unless promptly discountenanced by the saner elements 
in these denominations may in time threaten the harmonious 
relations which now prevail. 

Reverting to the original question we may once more ask: 
What have the churches of Ohio had to do with the war? While 
awaiting the collection of records which will furnish conclusive 
evidence, this much at least must be said : the churches of Ohio 
have stimulated public opinion to an incalculable degree ; they 
have successfully counteracted enemy propaganda within their 
own ranks; they have helped to sustain the morale of the men 
in service and of the civilian population upon which the army 
depends ; they have contributed to the success of the various 
campaigns; they have aided the government in formulating and 
in administering constructive plans of social relief ; in fine, the 
churches of Ohio joined with those of the nation in a league 
for service in order that the religious forces of the United States 
might be mobilized for war. 













































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